The present invention relates to a catalyst combustion system, a fuel reforming system using the catalyst combustion system, and a fuel cell system using the fuel reforming system.
There has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2533616 a catalyst combustor for supplying a heat medium for use at a fuel reformer to reform a fuel to be used in a fuel cell.
The catalyst combustor is adapted under assistance of a catalyst to perform a catalyst combustion of “a reformed fuel containing hydrogen that is effluent, as it is unused, at a cathode (a fuel electrode) of the fuel cell” (hereafter sometimes called “effluent fuel”) with “a gaseous fluid containing oxygen that is effluent, as it is unused, at an anode (an oxidizer electrode) of the fuel cell” (hereafter sometimes called “effluent oxidizer”), to provide a hot gas containing products of the catalyst combination, as the above-noted heat medium.
In such a regular run of a fuel cell system including the catalyst combustor, the fuel reformer, and the fuel cell, both effluent fuel and effluent oxidizer are available from the fuel cell for use at the catalyst combustor, and a heat medium is available therefrom.